All language subtitles for Expedition.Unknown.S14E05.en

[Josh]
Welcome to the Indian Ocean.

I'm sailing off
the coast of Tanzania

here in East Africa.

The trade winds
are blowing strong.

Perfect weather for me

to begin my search
for a sunken city.

But when it comes to
legendary lost locations,

there is one name that
stands above all others.

Atlantis.

It is synonymous with mystery,

a utopian island,

an advanced naval power,

not to mention a killer resort
in The Bahamas.

Atlantis started
as an allegory

by the Greek philosopher Plato
in 360 BC.

The island kingdom tries
to take down Athens,

an act of hubris
which annoyed the gods enough

to send them crashing
to the bottom of the sea.

It is a fascinating fiction
that's been

retold for centuries

and earned a billion
at the box office.

But it turns out there are
real life lost cities

hiding beneath the waves.

And I should know.

I've gone looking for them.

My own
longstanding fascination
with these tales has

taken me beneath
the waves all over the world.

From India's legendary
sunken city of Dwarka

to waterlogged structures

in a high altitude lake
in the Andes.

I've investigated
the enigmatic

Yonaguni ruins in Japan.

And even the dubiously titled

Bimini Road in The Bahamas.

And now I'm on a quest

for another Atlantis.

What, Aquaman gets a sequel,
why can't I?

Especially considering

this is a city like no other.

It is a very real

and very lost
ancient emporium.

The Roman Empire's
southernmost trading outpost,

known as Rhapta.

Several thousand years ago,

Rhapta was a major center
of maritime commerce.

Through its port flowed
the treasures of Africa.

Gold and silver,
ivory, tortoise shell

and priceless jewels.

It was a place
rich in ceramics.

Both ornate vessels
and large storage jars

which were traded to and from

the bustling seaside city.

By the Middle Ages, though,
it's gone.

All traces of this metropolis
and its precious goods

vanish from
the face of the earth.

But now,
new efforts are underway

to reveal its true location.

It is believed that
a powerful tsunami

may have destroyed Rhapta.

But now, new clues
are coming to the surface.

One archaeologist is exploring

a graveyard of shipwrecks

that may point
to the long lost site.

Meanwhile, a different team

thinks they've discovered

submerged harbor walls

that once surrounded
the mighty outpost.

Finding Rhapta
would rewrite maps

of the Roman Empire.

And could lead
to knowledge and artifacts

beyond our wildest dreams.

So let's trim the sails

and set a course

for Africa's Atlantis.

[theme music playing]

[Josh] The past
is all around us.

Oh, this is crazy.

A world of mystery.

-This is a plane.
-[man] Yeah.

[laughs]

Danger.

We are about to be underwater.

Whoa!

And adventure.

It's just straight down!

[exclaiming]

I travel to the far corners
of the earth

to uncover
where legends end...

[screams, laughs]

...and history begins.

Okay, let's punch it.

I'm Josh Gates.

And this is

Expedition Unknown.

My search for Rhapta begins

on another historic
African outpost.

On the island of Zanzibar.

It's been on maps for as long
as maps have been drawn.

And at its heart
is Stone Town.

It's a weathered labyrinth of

moldering citadels
and narrow streets.

All covered
by a blanket of rusted tin.

Everything here feels exotic,

right down to
the ornately carved
wooden doors.

It's not every day
you encounter brass spikes

to defend against
ramming elephants.

On these humid streets,
you rub shoulders

with an eclectic crowd.

From Muslim traders
and Buddhist monks

to Maasai warriors
and some high-flying kids.

I'm on my way
to meet a local explorer

with new information
about the hunt for Rhapta.

But in this neighborhood,

it's a good idea
to leave a little early.

-I'm good, brother. All right?
-Boom.

Good, yeah.

Stone Town is
a place like no other.

I could pick up
a local street map

but frankly it wouldn't help.

Getting lost here
is all but guaranteed.

And, well, kind of the point.

They say
all roads lead to Rome.

But in Stone Town,
they converge at

a coffee and dominoes hangout
known as Jaws Corner.

I wonder
why they call it that.

I'm gonna need a bigger cup.

Maybe it has something to do
with the sharks

circling the domino tables.

Yeah I'm ready.

-I was the president of my
high school dominoes club.
-Really?

Oh, no, wait a minute,
I worked at Domino's.

-[man laughs]
-It's close.

-Okay, here we go.
Come on. Bring it.
-[man] Okay. Double draw.

-[mouthing] I have no idea
what I'm doing.
-[man] Two.

Two, eh?

Hit. Double four.

-Double four.
-[man] Go.

[Josh exclaims]

Six.

-Yeah. Yeah!
-Okay.

Here we go.

Again. Again. Again. Again.

-[people cheering]
-Yeah!

Give me the watch. Come on.

No.

[Josh]
I may be flush with victory,

but Rhapta awaits.

To hear the story
of this once-mighty city,

I head to the rooftop bar
of the exotic Emerson Hotel.

This one-time palace
boasts the best views

of Zanzibar in town.

Up many flights of stairs,

I find diver and explorer,
Alan Sutton.

[Alan speaking
foreign language]

-[in English] Take a seat.
-[Josh] Thank you.

Alan has lived and dived
in Zanzibar for decades,

and nobody knows more about
the island's history

and legends.

This is incredible.

-[Alan] This is paradise.
-It is paradise.

The only thing missing
from our view here is Rhapta.

Yeah. Um,

Rhapta's been missing
for a long, long time.

-Very long time.
-[Alan] Yeah.

So, okay, help me
understand this place.

When do we first
hear about Rhapta?

When is it first written down?

Well, about 2,000 years ago,
from a periplus.

A periplus. I'm gonna need
some help with that.

Yeah, well, a periplus
is a nautical log.

[Josh]
Specifically, a periplus

is a record kept by sailors

to note landmarks and harbors

as they navigate through
unfamiliar areas.

And Alan's research
has revealed this one

from 40 AD,

when an unnamed Roman merchant

sailing the ports along
the eastern coast of Africa

recorded a detailed account
of his trip.

Okay, to get
my bearings here, we have

India and Arabia
and this is eastern Africa.

-[Alan] Eastern Africa. Yeah.
-[Josh] Okay.

And if you look over here,

you'll see...

[Josh] "Rapta Emporium."

-[Alan] Yeah, that's correct.
-It's on the map.

Yes, it is.

[Josh]
Translating the periplus,

we learned that Rhapta

was the very last
trading outpost for Rome

on the African continent.

And the description is
that this is

kind of a happening place.

Yeah, it must have
been bustling.

You know, they're dealing with
really high-end products.

[Josh] In the first century,
the Roman Empire

was home to more
than 50 million people,

a quarter of
the world's population,

many clamoring for
exotic goods from Africa.

And Rhapta had it all.

Lucky for us,

the periplus gives up
an amazing clue as to

where this emporium was.

It says the city was
two days' sail

south of an island known as...

[Alan] Menouthias.

-Menouthias.
-[Alan] Mm.

And what do we think
Menouthias is?

[Alan]
Well, Menouthias is, uh,

Zanzibar, which is
right where we are now.

-[Josh] So we're
in Menouthias?
-[Alan] Yes.

[Josh] Based on a projection

of how far a ship could sail
in two days' time,

Rhapta must lie
within a search zone

of a few hundred miles
from here.

Okay, so we have some
good clues here now.

We know it's off
the coast of East Africa.

We know it's
within a few days' sailing
of where we're sitting.

-So we're close?
-Yeah, we're definitely close.

Can we get closer?

-Yeah, we can.
-Okay.

In AD 150,

uh, Claudius Ptolemy
mentions Rhapta as well.

-Okay.
-And we can have
a look at his map.

Okay.

We trade in one ancient map

that Alan's uncovered
for another.

I have to say,
for being 2,000 years old,

this map's pretty incredible.

-We have a real sense
of the shape of Africa here.
-[Alan] Africa.

If you have
a look over here...

-Oh, right there.
-Yeah.

-[Josh] Rhapta.
-[Alan] Yes.

And you'll see
it calls it a metropolis.

-A metropolis?
-Yes. It's expanded.

[Josh] Ptolemy's account,
written only 100 years

after the periplus,

describes the city as being
much more significant,

including fortifications

and a sizeable harbor,

which would
have been necessary

to accommodate Roman ships

of up to 150 feet in length.

Well, Alan, now I'm confused.

We've got
two different maps here
that show Rhapta.

It's two days' sail from here.

Why can't we just go there?

Rhapta vanished.

-Literally?
-[Alan] Literally.

By the Middle Ages,
it's disappeared. It's gone.

No one knows where it is.

[Josh] The legends say
that Rhapta,

like Plato's storied city,

was swallowed by the ocean,

perhaps obliterated
by a violent tsunami.

But, of course,
Plato's Atlantis is

the stuff of legend,
but this is real.

Look, there's no question
this was a real place,

and it's gone.

So, Africa's Atlantis?

Africa's Atlantis,
yes, correct.

[Josh] And by studying
these maps and documents,

there's one place
within the search zone

that Alan has pinpointed

as concealing
this real Atlantis.

Most people think that
it's under the ocean

and, uh,

close to Mafia Island.

Mafia Island?

So it's in Italy?

No, it's not. [laughs]
In Swahili, Mafia means

a pleasant place to live.

Thought it meant
sleeps with fishes.

-Different Mafia, yeah.
-[Josh] Okay.

Mafia Island is about
how far from here?

It's two days' sail
south of here.

Okay, that's good.

And in Ptolemy's account, uh,

he describes Rhapta as being
at seven degrees south.

And interestingly,

Mafia Island is at
seven degrees south.

[Josh] In other words,
a perfect candidate.

Do we know exactly where
off the coast of the island

Rhapta might have been?

We don't know
exactly where it is yet.

But there are two groups of
archaeologists on the island

looking for it.

And I can
introduce you to them.

-I would love that. Okay.
-Great.

To Mafia.

I'm heading to an island
off the coast of an island

known as Mafia.

But a two-day sail
is not in the cards.

So I squeeze aboard
a Cessna 208 Caravan.

It's a tight fit.

[exhales]

All right, well,
what else do we need?

Oh, right.

Once the crew boards,
we take off

and I settle in for
a quick 100-mile trip.

It doesn't take long
to spot our destination.

There's the island.

[Josh] Wow.

Mafia may be six times
the size of Manhattan,

but only has 3%
of its population.

We land at
their version of JFK.

Okay.

Now what?

Alan called ahead to
the archaeology team here

to say I was coming.

But there's no cab to hail.

Instead, I just grab
one of these.

Well, this little
three-wheeled beauty
is known as a tuk-tuk.

At least that's what they
call them in Thailand.

Around the world,
they're known as pigeons,

jonnybees, bajaj,

bao-bao, or easy bikes.

Hey, what do you call this?

It is a tuk-tuk.

It's a tuk-tuk.

Yeah. It's a tuk-tuk.

As to why it's emblazoned

with a huge sticker
that reads "Boss Lady" that's

partially obscuring my view,

it's because I insisted
they put it there.

What can I say?
I'm a sassy CEO.

Let's do this.

The team I'm meeting
is across the island,

so I've got a bit of a drive.

Just look at this island.

Mafia is one of
those places you just

don't find in the world
very much anymore.

There's a little bit
of tourism here.

But at one point,
this may have been

a bustling emporium

where the treasures
of the continent

were traded with
the Roman Empire.

I make my way to
the far side of the island

where I trade in three wheels
for no wheels,

and motor well offshore

to a set of
watery coordinates.

There should be
absolutely nothing here,

which is why
I'm puzzled to spot...

land?

Whoa.

What is that?

[Josh] Whoa.

What is that?

On remote Mafia Island
off the coast of Tanzania,

I'm searching for
the lost city of Atlantis.

No, not that one.

I'm talking about Rhapta,

known as
the Atlantis of Africa.

Once a wealthy center
of commerce

thousands of years ago,

it vanished beneath
the waves of the Indian Ocean.

Or did it?

That's land.

Not much, but it's land.

I transfer to a waiting skiff

and complete
my journey to this

improbable spit of terra firma

where I find
archaeologist Caesar Bita

and Dr. Felix Chami.

Professor Chami, I presume.

-Yeah. Welcome.
-[Josh] Thank you.

Very nice to meet both of you.

Now, I have read that
you are the world's

foremost authority on Rhapta.

It is true, yes, yes.

Does that mean that
you know where Rhapta is?

Yes, I know
exactly where it is.

It is under your feet.

-[chuckles]
-This is Rhapta?

Yes, the metropolis of Rhapta.

[Josh] We are standing on
a mysterious linear formation

that rises up
out of the Indian Ocean.

The locals have
long referred to it

as Mwamba Ukuta,

or the Rocky Wall.

You are standing now
on the wall of Rhapta.

And it's quite long,

three miles east-west.

You can see
how extensive it goes.

[Josh]
So this whole thing I see
going off into the distance,

-that's all part of Rhapta?
-[Caesar] That's it.

You say this is man-made?

Yes, this is
man-made, exactly.

[Josh] But to my eyes,

it is not at all clear
that this is man-made.

It's the kind of
hotly debated question

I've encountered before.

Have you ever heard
of the Yonaguni ruins

-in Japan?
-Yep, yep, yep.

This is another place that

there's a real debate

as to whether it's
man-made or geological.

[Josh speaking]

And this site
is just as puzzling.

Is this the work
of human engineering?

Finding out won't be easy.

I'm informed that
Mwamba Ukuta here

only shows itself
for a brief period every day.

So as the tide comes up,
this gets submerged?

Yeah, it gets
completely submerged.

How much time do we have?

[Caesar] Hmm.

Roughly

-half an hour to one hour.
-[Josh] Half an hour?

-And then we're underwater?
-[Caesar] We will
be submerged.

[Josh] Suddenly,
we're on a short clock

to examine the site

before the sea
claims it once again.

So do you have any doubt
that this is Rhapta?

Not at all.

Prove it.

Okay, let us go.
I'll show you boulders.

Please, show me the boulders.

Since Rhapta was likely
destroyed by a tsunami,

Dr. Chami contends that

this toppled wall
is what's left.

We walk down
a rapidly sinking path

atop the formation

to see his proof

lying half submerged
in the water.

Look at this!

This looks like a block.

Oh, my word,

that is like
a squared-off block.

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh] This is crazy!

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh] I mean, they are
rectangular blocks.

This looks like a LEGO set.

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh] Let's see.

Okay, so I'm putting this
right up in the corner.

[Caesar speaking]

78 inches.
So more than 6 feet.

So what do you think this is?

Is this carved stone

or is this like concrete?

This is what
we call Roman concrete.

Roman concrete.

The ancient Romans were
masters of engineering

who invented so-called
hydraulic concrete,

which was used
to build harbor walls

across the ancient world

by sinking squared-off
caissons of cement

that set into
a rock-hard material.

Dr. Chami and Caesar

have recorded these types
of so-called blocks

all along the vast extent
of the wall.

They also contend
that there are clear

architectural blocks
underwater,

as well as possible remains
of pottery or artifacts

from Rhapta's rich emporium.

Can we see it?

We can see it.

We can dive and see it.

[Josh] Okay, we're running out
of dry land here.

Okay, let's get moving.
This tide is coming in
real quick now.

In the few minutes
we've been here,

the waves have gotten higher,

and the land beneath our feet

is rapidly disappearing.

We're about to get swamped.

This tide is
really coming in now.

Oh, big wave!
Caesar! Caesar! Come here!

We climb what passes
for higher ground here,

and we call in a boat

to pluck us
out of the rising water.

-Hey!
-[Chami]
Bring the vessel here!

[Josh] Hang on, hang on!

Okay. Let's get aboard.

We make it aboard safely

and watch as the mysterious
stone structure

retreats beneath the waves.

That wall, if it is a wall,

would be a huge discovery,

and could put Rhapta
back on the map.

But not without a smoking gun.

It will take
unimpeachable signs

of human construction,

or the discovery of
Rhapta's ancient artifacts,

to prove this is
the missing emporium.

The truth is underwater,

which is where
we intend to go.

[Josh speaking]

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

Our time here is limited.

Once the tide
fully sweeps over the wall,

the strong current will
sweep us out to sea.

We'll need to work fast.

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

The Romans'
engineering prowess

extended to water management.

They built elegant aqueducts
that function to this day.

Caesar thinks this channel

could be part of a system
that they built for Rhapta.

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh] It may look that way,

but looks have been
known to deceive.

We continue to search
the bottom for any artifacts

or evidence of construction.

It's a job
made more challenging

by the strong current,

which drags us
against the reef.

But this is the only way
we're going to find

conclusive evidence of Rhapta.

[Josh speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh] I'm diving
on an enigmatic rock formation

that may have once served
as an outer wall

for the lost
trading metropolis
of Rhapta.

We don't have much time
before the strong current
overpowers us.

And we've
just discovered blocks

that appear to have signs
of being manufactured.

[Josh speaking]

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh] We take measurements
to see how this block

compares to the one
we examined on the surface.

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

Admittedly, the blocks here
are compelling.

But as we sweep the sand,
we don't see any
pottery fragments,

anchors or other
telltale remains of a port.

And soon,
we can't see anything at all.

[Caesar speaking]

[Josh speaking]

Professor Chami
is a true believer.

To him, these are
the Walls of Rhapta.

He doesn't need
to see more proof,
but I think I do.

Rock formations
can fracture along
perfectly straight lines,

and until the blocks
can be cored and studied,

I'd say it's much more likely

that this is
a natural barrier reef.

But fear not,

because right now,
there's another group
of explorers on Mafia Island,

also on the hunt
for Africa's Atlantis.

So I navigate
back down the coast,

and come ashore
at a place called Chole Bay.

It's here that I meet
Bridget Buxton,

a professor at
the University of Rhode Island

with a PhD in ancient history
from UC Berkeley.

Her work
as an underwater archaeologist

has taken her
from the Black Sea
to New Zealand.

Joining her, is pottery expert
and field archaeologist,

Professor Alexandra Ratzlaff.

-Hi, I'm Josh.
-[Bridget chuckles]

-Nice to meet you.
-Great to meet you.

-Hi. Alex.
-Alex. A pleasure.

I come seeking Rhapta.

You have come to
the right place.

Sort of. [chuckles]

Okay, wait. So, have I?
I mean, do you think

Rhapta was somewhere
around Mafia Island?

-Yes.
-[Josh] Okay, that's good.
I'm not on the wrong island.

Now the question is, where?

That's the better question.
Where is it?

Where does the evidence
point us?

So I have just been
to one potential candidate
for Rhapta,

this place Mwamba Ukutu.

Are you bullish on that
as Rhapta?

Sorry, no, that is not Rhapta.

I have seen many formations
like that

with more than 20 years
of working underwater.

With Mwamba Ukutu,
it's not about what's there,
it's about what's missing.

If it was this major
Roman city or emporium

and this trade nexus,

you would have
monumental architecture,

you would have
domestic houses.

The Romans weren't shy about
leaving their footprint.

If they decided
to show up somewhere,
you'd know about it.

And even this argument
that a tsunami

may have swept through
and destroyed the city...

If this is the Amazon
fulfillment center
of the ancient world,

-where are
all those boxes, right?
-[Alexandra] Yeah.

Which is the pottery
in this case.

Yeah, we're missing
all the shipping containers.

So that leads to
an obvious next question.

Where else do we look,
and how do we look?

We look in the sea,
and we look for shipwrecks.

One of the places
that ships love
to have accidents

is close to a port.

Shipwrecks equal port,
port may equal Rhapta.

That all makes good sense.

So, how do we find
those shipwrecks?

The number one way
to find shipwrecks...

ask the local people.

The local people
have been reporting

a lot of interesting sites,
just out here.

What are the items
that we want to find
to say we are in Rhapta?

I'd love to find anchors,
because we know
from Roman texts

that Mediterranean style,
Roman style ships

-were trading in this ocean.
-[Josh] Right.

[Bridget] But no one's
ever found one of those ships.

I'd love to find pottery.

This is an area of expertise
for you, right?

-[Alexandra] Absolutely.
-You are a pot-head.

-[Alexandra chuckles]
-Is that-- Pot expert.
Pottery expert?

-Did I use it correctly?
-I don't think
that'd be a stretch.

Okay. Perfect.

Yeah. So, the pottery
I look at

tells me, not only about
what the Romans have,

but what the Romans
that came to Mafia,

that came to Rhapta,
brought with them.

Okay, so we know
what we're looking for.

Now we just need to find it.

Should we go diving?

-Sounds good.
-Let's do it. Come on.

We get back on the boat

and head out to
the coordinates

provided by local fishermen,

where they think they've found
evidence of shipwrecks.

Bridget and I prepare
to dive the coordinates,

while Alexandra
will stay topside.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

The conditions here are better
than at Mwamba Ukutu,

at least for now.

While currents here
can also be treacherous,

at least I can actually see
my hand in front of my face.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Bridget speaking]

We continue to search
for signs of a shipwreck,

suddenly mindful
of Bridget's suggestion
to search carefully.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

Moray eels aren't venomous,

but their jaws and teeth
are powerful,

with bites prone
to infections.

I'm so busy looking down,

I fail to notice
the shadow overhead.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

Whale sharks
are the largest fish
in the ocean,

growing up to 60 feet long.

They're gentle giants,

gliding through the waves
and dwarfing us in their wake.

With the whale shark
swimming away,

we refocus on the mission.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

Fighting the currents
as we scour the seabed,

something catches
Bridget's eyes.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh] In the Indian Ocean,

I'm looking for evidence
of Africa's Atlantis,

the very real sunken port city
of Rhapta,

which was once
the southernmost
Roman trade center

on the continent.

We've just discovered
a collection
of ceramic vessels,

and resting beside them...

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh] Ballast stones
were once used

to steady the hulls of ships,

weighing them down
in the water
so they wouldn't tip over.

If this ship was made of wood,

it's possible these stones
could be the only thing

to survive centuries
underwater.

So we likely have a shipwreck.

Finding out if
it's from Rhapta, though,

will mean identifying
its cargo.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh] Before attempting
to raise one of the pots,

we have to carefully
select one strong enough
to survive the trip.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

From topside, Alexandra
sends down a recovery basket

to cradle and raise our find.

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

[Bridget speaking]

[Josh speaking]

Safely loaded,

we bring the artifact
to the surface,

until, at long last,

this piece of pottery
sees the light of day

for what may be the first time
in centuries.

[Alexandra] Oh, wow.

It's a complete vessel.

-Whoo!
-[Alexandra] I'll get this.

-[Bridget] All right,
let's try to get it out.
-[Josh] Careful, careful!

-Up we go.
-[Alexandra] We're done.

-Careful.
-[Josh whoops]

This is amazing. We never find
complete vessels like this.

I'm always working
with shards that are
the size of a quarter.

You guys have
a full vessel here.

-It's really beautiful.
-[Alexandra] Yeah.

[Josh] I mean, it is just
almost complete.

Now, you are
the queen of pottery here,
as I understand it.

So if you had to date this,
what would you say?

I would say that this is
definitely post medieval.

So not old enough.
Not the smoking gun of Rhapta.

Not Rhapta,

but the site
was obviously important
throughout history.

At the very least,
it does indicate

that we may be
in the right area.

-Any evidence
is good evidence.
-[Josh] All right.

You guys had
an amazing find today.

Great work.

Reports of shipwrecks here
will continue to be examined,

as the history of this region
seems laid out on the seabed.

But back on the boat,
Bridget and Alexandra

remind me that
when it comes to Rhapta,

regional is not
what we're looking for.

We want a site that tells us
about international trade.

The ancient texts
tell us that Rhapta

is an international emporium,
a metropolis.

We're looking for something
on a bigger scale.

Yes. There's another site
that we'd like to show you

that we think is
another important piece
of this puzzle.

Okay. Where is this place?

It's called Ras Kisimani.

Okay. And do I get to know
what's at this place?

-[Bridget] No.
-You're going to
need to see it.

Okay.

We hit the throttle hard
and raced the tide

to the place known as
Ras Kisimani.

Several hours later,
we arrive at the tip

of Mafia's
westernmost peninsula,

and climb out
into the shallows.

Another low tide, another walk
through the water,

and on this particular beach,
it pays to look down.

Is that pottery?

-Oh, nice find!
-That's pottery. Look at that!

This is the base of a...
of a storage container, yeah?

[Alexandra] Yeah,
and the storage vessels,
we like finding these,

because it says harbor,
facilities, infrastructure.

So this is part of the puzzle
that we're looking for.

And there's more of this here?

There's so much more
of it here.

This is why
we brought you here.

Show me. Yeah.

She doesn't need to show me.
Everywhere I step...

More pottery here.

Everywhere I look...

And more here.

And here.

-It's everywhere.
-[Bridget chuckles]

[Josh] ...pottery is laid out
before me.

-What do you got?
-Something a little different.

Fifteenth century
Portuguese import.

And so,
what is this doing here?

This is more indicative
of a town, a city,

some permanent settlement.

[Josh] We wanted evidence
of international trade,

and here we have it.

And the Middle Ages
would be right around the time

Rhapta is said to have sunk
into the ocean.

And along with the pottery,

there's other clues
revealed by the low tide.

[Bridget] Guys, come and have
a look at this.

-[Alexandra] Ooh.
-[Josh] Find something?

[Bridget] Yep.

[Josh] What is this?

[Bridget] This is an anchor.

[Josh] This is an anchor!

[Bridget] Yep.

-[Josh] It's a stone anchor.
-[Bridget] Yes.

[Josh] So we can see
it has this squared off form,

and there's a hole
through the center here
for rope.

[Bridget] They were
in continuous use

-for hundreds of years.
-[Josh] Right.

Here we have now, literally,
rock solid evidence.

that there must
have been ships here.

[Alexandra] Where there's
ships and anchors,
there's a port.

[Josh]
A historic ship's anchor
and this much pottery

could be strong evidence
of this as a trade center.

We quickly scan
every inch of the beach.

Worked stone.

Pulling up clue...

That is a worked edge
for sure.

This is man made here.

...after clue.

Whoa, loom weight!

[Alexandra] A loom weight?

-[Bridget] Yeah.
-[Josh] That's super cool.

I'm seeing pottery
with every step that I take.

Oh, sorry, just half a jar
at my feet

while we're talking here.

This is insane.

And then, something green
catches my eye.

-Bridget?
-[Bridget] Yeah?

Bridget, come here!

It might be nothing,
but it looks...

-[Bridget] Oh, my God.
-[Josh] Is it?

-[Bridget] Yes.
-[Josh] It is.

That is a coin?

Yeah. You found one.

[Josh] Get out of here!

[Alexandra] Wow, it's nestled
right in between the pottery.

-You can see decoration.
-Can you actually?

-Yeah, you can.
-Oh, you can.
There's writing on it.

But this is not a modern coin?

[Bridget] It's late
in the medieval period
if it's medieval.

-But that's old--
-[Josh] But it could be
cleaned up for sure.

-Oh, yeah.
-[Alexandra] Oh, yeah.

[Josh] We found trade goods,

and now, coins washing up
on the beach.

This place has
all the ingredients
of a major marketplace.

But was it Rhapta?

We continue searching
for proof.

Oh, my word.

Oh, my word! Look at this!

-[gasps]
-That's not from here.

Look at this.

Bridget, come here!

[Alexandra] Bridget,
this is something new.

[dramatic music playing]

[Josh] In Zanzibar's
bustling night market,

amongst Swahili stews
and seafood skewers,

I'm surprised to find a food
I'm intimately familiar with.

Or at least I thought I was.

Okay, this is Zanzibar pizza?

Yeah, this is Zanzibar pizza.

Famous for its pizza.

Meat, we have vegetable,

we have nice cheese...

-Lobster?
-Yeah, lobster pizza.

-Okay, I'm gonna have
the lobster pizza.
-One pizza?

One classic
Zanzibar lobster pizza.

Just like Mom used to make.

Hakuna matata.

[Josh] Naturally,
lobster pizza is made
with two full cups of onions,

mayonnaise,
an egg with the shell...

I'm sure
they'll take that out.

...and presumably lobster?

All right, here we go.
Moment of truth.

I got to say, it's great!

-Have you had pizza
from America?
-No.

-No?
-No.

It's just like this.
Nice work.

Yeah, hakuna matata.

Hakuna ma-tasty.

Is that stone?

It's stone. Really fine stone.

-Beautiful stone.
-[Alexandra] Not local stone.

-Not even close.
-[Josh] This looks
like something

that would line a doorway.

On a remote beach
off the coast of
a Tanzanian island,

I'm exploring a treasure trove
of ancient artifacts

from what I hope is Africa's
sunken city of Rhapta.

And this one is jaw dropping.

This looks like
an architectural element.

This is the nicest stone
that we have seen.

This is about
maybe a belief system
or a cultural tradition.

This is going to tell us
not just the fact
someone was here,

-but who was here.
-[Josh] Right.

[Alexandra] Beautiful.

That... That is incredible.

The low tide continues
to reveal treasures,

many dating to around
the eighth century,

when Rhapta
vanished off the map.

Oh, hey, guys.

-[Josh] Got something?
-Yeah. Check this out.

What do you have?
More pottery?

[Alexandra] It's more pottery,
but it's early.

This is probably
a little juglet.

The bottom is worn out,

uh, and I'd push it into
the Islamic period.

Maybe sixth century,
which is pretty amazing.

Sixth century would put us
within just a few centuries
of Rhapta.

The earliest known pottery
from this area

is the eighth century.

That's the absolute earliest.

Until a few seconds ago. Yeah.

Until a few seconds ago.

-We're turning back
the clock here.
-Definitely.

-Yeah.
-[Josh] Let's keep turning it.

The objects buried
on this beach

are snapshots
from across cultures
and centuries.

I'm absolutely stunned,
especially by this.

[chuckles] I'm sorry,
I keep picking up things
that are really cool.

Is this of interest?

-[Bridget] It's Chinese.
-[Josh] It is Chinese?

-[Bridget] Yes, it's Chinese.
-[Alexandra] Yes, it actually
is Chinese.

Look at that pattern.

It's beautiful.

This, so different
than any other pottery
that we've seen.

This is very, very
finely made.

And then the glaze
is just beautiful.

It covers the whole thing.

It is stunning.

But if this was
the storied trading outpost,

where's the town itself?

The answer may be
just up the beach.

Wow, what is this?

Is it a tower?

Tower foundations, yeah.

But something lopped
the top off it.

I just noticed something.
Look.

-[Josh] Shells.
-You see what I'm seeing?

A layer of articulated shells.

-The killer just left
its signature right here.
-[Alexandra] Yeah.

[Josh] So when you see
a line of shells like that,
it says what?

Tsunami, big storm.

So, one of those waves
that comes crashing in,

it pushes everything that way,

and then it has
this trail of shells
and marine life with it.

And it gets deposited,

and then all the heavy stuff
on top of it

gets pulled back out to sea.

Well, there's a theory
that Rhapta was destroyed
by a tsunami,

and we might be looking at
a tsunami fingerprint.

That is one of
the biggest discoveries
we have made here.

[Josh] This layer of shells
is a monumental find.

It hints at a story,
one of destruction,

perhaps of a thriving
Roman trade emporium.

After all,
literally at our feet,

we've just made
a dizzying array of finds.

So, you're holding
Chinese pottery,

we already picked up
medieval pottery
from Portugal.

Also, next to...
contemporary African pottery
from the medieval period.

And then we have
going even further back,

possibly sixth century
pottery.

And then,
you throw in a decorative
architectural element...

It doesn't get more diverse
than that at a site.

[Josh] And stone anchors
and structural elements,
and a coin.

And all of those things
share something else,

which is that
they've all been destroyed.

There is
some serious destruction
happening here.

You have
a major natural disaster.

Some kind of
Atlantis scenario, yes.

Great. So, are we standing
in Rhapta?

Maybe. We think this area here

is a good candidate
for our missing city.

This whole coast,
over the centuries,

has experienced catastrophes
and huge erosion.

The ancient shoreline
was much further out
2,000 years ago.

There could have been,
maybe more city out there...

-Underwater.
-...underwater.

This is just the beginning.

Thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.

-All the best.
-[Alexandra] Thank you.

-Thank you.
-And thanks for finding
so much stuff for us.

Of course. Are you kidding?

And for you to let me keep
all of it, it's amazing.

[Alexandra chuckles]

[Josh] The story of Atlantis
is one that has resonated
across time

for more than 2,000 years.

It is a legend
that pulls at our imagination.

But here,
off the coast of East Africa

is a mystery far greater
than Atlantis,

because it's entirely real.

We may be able
to officially put Rhapta
back on the map.

Because of these finds
in just a few months,

an excavation will be launched

to study this speech
in greater detail.

And based on
the wrecks off shore

and the treasures at our feet,

I have a feeling
that new discoveries here

will be nothing short
of historic.